HBO Hypes Deadwood Through Street Theater

It isn’t everyday that you’ll find characters from the 19th century walking around town. In a move to get people talking about the new Deadwood series, HBO is taking to the streets in a viral promotion to build excitement around the show.

Today, some 40 actors dressed in 1877-era costumes will pound the pavement in New York City and Los Angeles (20 in each city) to “talk” up the show. Only, the actors won’t be standing on street corners hawking HBO signage or Deadwood flyers. Instead, street theater performers will be riding subways and double-decker buses and standing in coffee shop lines, trying to blend in with the crowd, to promote the show.

As part of the promotion, the costumed crew will distribute copies of The Deadwood Pioneer, a mock old-West newspaper. On the back page, a full-page ad promotes the show’s new season, which starts June 11 at 9 p.m. on HBO. Some 10,000 newspapers will be distributed during the one-day stunt. Grand Central Marketing, New York City, handles.

“It’s just everyday life,” said Grand Central Marketing CEO Matthew Glass. “We’re adding to the mix and generating some buzz and some talk about it.”

The stunt strays from the in your face branding that often turns consumers away, Glass said. “It’s a bit of discovery,” he said. “We’re instigating people to ask [questions].”

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